Elle Fanning

Actor

Mary Elle Fanning, born on April 9, 1998, in Conyers, Georgia, is a highly acclaimed American actress who transitioned from a prolific child star to one of Hollywood’s most versatile leading talents. After making her film debut at age three playing the younger version of her sister, Dakota Fanning, in I Am Sam (2001), she gained independent recognition through standout roles in Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere (2010) and J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 (2011). Fanning achieved global mainstream success as Princess Aurora in Disney’s Maleficent (2014) and its sequel, while simultaneously earning critical praise for her work in bold independent films like The Neon Demon (2016) and 20th Century Women (2016). Her career reached new heights with her Emmy-nominated portrayal of Catherine the Great in the satirical series The Great (2020–2023), and she further solidified her status in the mid-2020s with an Academy Award nomination for Sentimental Value (2025) and a lead role in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown (2024).